


And our own dear Monticello

by orphan_account



Category: 18th Century CE RPF
Genre: Fluff, GO THERE, Guys I love monticello so much, It's a monticello tour guide AU!, James has celiac disease and its brought up briefly, Jefferson is autstic but he doesn't really show symptoms in thi s, M/M, Monticello honey is very good!, That no one asked for!, This is the longest serious fic I have ever written so please be kind?, anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-10-17 03:42:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10585713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Disclaimer: I do not work at Monticello and they have nothing to do with this. I went at a tour there recently and its all I can think about so here you go.Even if this Company Retreat was bullshit, he couldn’t deny that this wasn’t a wonderful place to be.The gardens were beautiful, even in winter all the tulips looked gorgeous. The grounds weren’t crowded, in fact, it was peaceful. He could see why Jefferson wanted to spend eternity here. It probably would’ve been even more appealing if it were just him and a few guests, like it was for the house’s original owner.





	

Even if this Company Retreat was bullshit, he couldn’t deny that this wasn’t a wonderful place to be.

The gardens were beautiful, even in winter all the tulips looked gorgeous. The grounds weren’t crowded, in fact, it was peaceful. He could see why Jefferson wanted to spend eternity here. It probably would’ve been even more appealing if it were just him and a few guests, like it was for the house’s original owner.  

 Indoors was even better. The first room, as the rather adorable tour guide explained, was painted green to make it seem like an extension of the outside. He called it one of the first private museums, gesturing to the artifacts that lined the walls. Here, a map Jefferson’s father made, there a clock Jefferson himself designed to tell the date. Jefferson’s obsession with french architecture bled through into his southern home already, with a mezzanine instead of a staircase out in the open, to save space, the definitely adorable tour guide explained.

  James was honestly enjoying this tour. Sure, it was a trip with his buddies from work (Hamilton was seriously agitating the handsome tour guide with insisting he was correct and the guy who actually worked at Monticello was wrong.) After the tour, the man kept his glare trained on  Alexander as he made his end-of-tour-speech. “Thank you for coming on the extended tour! My name is Thomas, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day at Monticello. Please remember that two other guided tours are free to you, in fact, the Hemmings tour is about to begin, so if you’re interested in the Hemmings family or how this large plantation functioned, go get on that tour! There’s another one at two, if you’re too tired. You can take the bus down to the Jefferson grave yard, or just down to the bottom of the mountain if your visit is over. Again, thank you! If you have any questions I’ll happily answer them….” Hamilton seized that opportunity, immediately launching into a critic of the house and Thomas’ tour. Oh that poor, poor, adorable tour guide… 

James cleared his throat in Washington’s direction, eyeballing Alexander. His boss quickly caught his drift, and called off the hounds. “Alexander, come on, leave the poor man alone. or we’ll miss that other tour. Don’t you want to see Sally Hemming’s room?”

Alexander stopped mid rant, which Thomas looked thankful for, and groaned. “I mean… I guess..”

“You don’t guess, son. We have to be out of here by 3, so we aren’t sticking around for the next Slavery tour. It’s now or never.”  
  
“Don’t call me son.” He grumbled, crossing his arms around his chest and heading towards Mulberry Row.

James couldn’t stifle a laugh as a grown man pouted because he wasn’t allowed to yell anymore. It was just too funny.

“Is uh- is he always like that?” The tour guide, Thomas, nervously approached. 

“Oh, Hamilton? Yeah, He’s terrible. I’m sorry he was so rude, I happened to like your tour. You really know your stuff.”

Thomas’ face turned red at that, and he dug his heels into the gravel pathway awkwardly. “Oh, thanks...I uh, I really enjoy doing them. I’ve lived here my whole life, I actually went to the university of Virginia.” Thomas gestured to his left, James had no idea where he was pointing but nodded along. “I’m named after Thomas Jefferson, went to his college, born in the hospital named after his daughter…seemed only fitting that I work here.” 

“You’re named after Thomas Jefferson?” James tilted his head to the left, he just couldn’t see this guy as a Thomas Jefferson. He seemed...shy, but not Jefferson shy.

“Mm-hmm. Thomas Jefferson Barnett…”

“I’m James, James Madison.”

“Oh, thats cool. So, you liked the tour then?”

“Absolutely. I wish I could go through it again.” James smiled,Thomas returned the smile. James honestly wasn’t sure if he could trust himself not to come back here tomorrow, and pay another 60 dollars just to see Thomas smile like that.

“I could, uh, give you a private tour of the grounds if you’d like…”  
  
“I’d love that, actually.”

Thomas somehow seemed even more amazing outside the tour. It was obvious he was speaking freely now, and he actually made some funny jokes. He laughed at the wooden sign on the grounds about how Jefferson collected rainwater in case the area went through drought, mainly because collecting rain water was now illegal, and James laughed too. Thomas was off work, so he could flirt shamelessly with whatever customers he wanted as long as his hoodie was on over his red Monticello staff shirt.  “Would you like to get some coffee? Or hot chocolate- I think we might even have tea...It’s on me, I get it for free anyway because I work here. Oh! If you want some real food, there are good sandwiches down the mountain! The bread is fresh made, you should really try it. I like the one with the roasted bell peppers? I can't remember what it's called though.”

Oh boy. James didn’t expect to be explaining that his body was all fucked up already.

 

“Uh, I’m afraid I can’t try honey. I have celiac disease an-”  
  
“Oh, okay. We have some really good gluten free pretzels that have cinnamon on them too, if you want to try those. People with celiac disease can’t eat gluten, right?”

“Right.” James smiled, following Thomas into the farm store.

 

James insisted on buying the pretzels for himself, but he did let Thomas spoil him with the employee discount and the free tea. A guy he just met was buying him tea. Said guy didn’t launch into some story about how is mom’s friend’s neighbor’s cousin’s dog walker’s nephew thought he had celiac disease once. It was perfect.

They sat on the benches around the nickle side of the home and sipped their tea, with light conversation. “So...are you from around here?”  
“Yeah, my friends and I work about 45 minutes away, and I live about 15 minutes from said workplace. So thirty minutes from here. Honestly, the main reason we’re here is because Hamilton tried to fight Monroe about some minor detail, and Washington is trying to patch that up.”

“He seems kinda mean.” 

“He’s really mean. The only person who he’s remotely nice to is Washington, and even then he’s got snark. Or the pretty interns, the Schuylers. He’s always nice to them.”

“So….he’s good to the people he’s fucking?”

That sent both of them into a fit of giggles and awkward snorts.

“How’d you know about Washington and Alexander?”  


“It’s pretty obvious. I don’t know, maybe it's the whole ‘ this is the only person he listens to who also happens to totally be sugar daddy material’ thing.”

James laughed again, and he could swear he caught Thomas staring at him as he did so.  
  
“Yeah! Pretty much!”

James rested on Thomas’ shoulder while Thomas recounted stories where kids tried to eat the antiques, and times he’d caught people trying to have sex in some room or another, and everything was perfect until he got a text from his boss.

 

_**Washington: Come meet us at the bus stop, we’re leaving with the next shuttle unless you want to get left behind.** _

 

Shit, he knew he shouldn’t have carpooled with them.

 

“Uhm, I have to go, but could I have your number? Or do I have to pay sixty dollars to talk to you again?”

 

“Sugar Daddy much?” Thomas laughed, “I’ll put it in your phone, you put yours in mine? The password is 1776, I’m basic, I know.” He handed James his nice shiny Iphone 6 plus, and James traded it for his beat up android.

 

After spending an entire day with each other, parting ways with a hug and a smile seemed unfair, but James couldn't control that. When he reached the bus stop, he was already missing the peace and quiet Thomas offered. Especially since Alexander was moaning about how he sprained his ankle.

**To: Thomas From: James  
**

**Hamilton hurt his ankle. I am suing your workplace for making me suffer through hearing him cry about it.**

 

**To: James From: Thomas  
**

**Calm down, Jemmy Jams. You’ll survive. Hey, wanna hear a joke to take your mind off him?**

 

**To: Thomas From: James  
**

**Yes, please.**

 

**To: James From: Thomas  
**

**What’s green and eats nuts?**

 

**To: Thomas From: James  
**

**Uhm idk the wicked witch of the west?**

 

**To: James From: Thomas  
**

**Close, but no.**

 

**To: Thomas From: James  
**

**What then?**

 

 _**To: James** _ **From: Thomas  
**

_**Syphilis :^)** _

 

**To: Thomas From: James  
**

**Oh my god. I’m blocking you.**

 

**To: James From: Thomas  
**

**Don’t be like that. You know you love me.**

**Author's Note:**

> Woah so this is the first even kinda half length fic I have ever written so ?? I am proud of me?? Over 1000 words! Yay! Anyway, feel free to talk me here or on tumblr. Comments and kudos are lovely <3
> 
> My tumblr is : supremecakepop


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